The present invention relates to the field of vehicle devices, and, more particularly, to a tracking and alerting system for a vehicle.
Vehicle security systems are widely used to deter vehicle theft, prevent theft of valuables from a vehicle, deter vandalism, and to protect vehicle owners and occupants. A typical automobile security system, for example, includes a central processor or controller connected to a plurality of vehicle sensors. The sensors, for example, may detect opening of the trunk, hood, doors, windows, and also movement of the vehicle or within the vehicle. Ultrasonic and microwave motion detectors, vibration sensors, sound discriminators, differential pressure sensors, and switches may be used as sensors. In addition, radar sensors may be used to monitor the area proximate the vehicle.
The controller typically operates to give an alarm indication in the event of triggering of a vehicle sensor. The alarm indication may typically be a flashing of the lights and/or the sounding of the vehicle horn or a siren. In addition, the vehicle fuel supply and/or ignition power may be selectively disabled based upon an alarm condition.
A typical security system also includes a receiver associated with the controller that cooperates with one or more remote transmitters typically carried by the user. The remote transmitter may be used to arm and disarm the vehicle security system or provide other remote control features from a predetermined range away from the vehicle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,654,688; 6,140,938 and 6,144,315, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, disclose a significant advance in vehicle security whereby the user may be provided with an indication of the number of remote transmitters learned and thereby capable of operating the system. The user may also be provided with an indication that the number of learned remote transmitters has recently changed. Accordingly, a would-be thief cannot simply learn a new transmitter, for example, to operate the vehicle""s security system, and later return to steal of the vehicle or its contents.
In addition, motor vehicles, such as passenger cars, trucks, busses, fleet vehicles, etc. are widely used and knowing the locations of such vehicles is often desired. For example, should a vehicle be stolen, it would be beneficial to know the vehicle""s location so that authorities could be promptly and accurately directed to retrieve the vehicle. Indeed, the tracking system could plot the getaway path of the thief.
For a company with hired drivers, it may be desirable to know the driver""s whereabouts during the course of the day. Similarly, a rental car agency or other fleet operator, for example, may wish to know the whereabouts of its fleet of vehicles.
It may also be desirable to track the location of a vehicle as it is used throughout the course of a normal day. For parents of younger or older drivers, for example, knowledge of the vehicle""s location may provide some assurance that the driver is at designated locations and following a prescribed route.
A number of patents disclose various systems and approaches to tracking vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,844 discloses a tracking system including a control center and a mobile unit installed in the vehicle. The mobile unit may send security warnings to the command center via a wireless transceiver. Position information for the vehicle is determined using a GPS receiver at the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,043 discloses a similar system which may send one or more preprogrammed telephone messages to a user when away from the vehicle. The user may remotely access location information or cause certain commands to be carried out by entering a personal identification number (PIN).
The widespread availability and use of the Internet has prompted a number of vehicle tracking systems to also make use of the Internet. For example, TelEvoke, Inc. proposed such a system in combination with Clifford Electronics. The system was to provide notification, control and tracking services via the telephone or the Internet. Users could be notified via phone, e-mail, or pager of events such as a car alarm being triggered. Users could control the vehicle remote devices via phone, web, or PDA such as unlocking car doors. Additionally, users could track TelEvoke-enabled vehicles on the Internet or via the telephone. An Internet map could be viewed by the user showing the actual and prior vehicle locations. TelEvoke offered its services via a centralized fully automated Network Operations Center. To reduce the communications costs, it was proposed to use the control channel of the cellular telephone network.
Many conventional vehicle tracking units include many input and output connections. Accordingly, such units may be difficult to install in a vehicle. This is especially so since the space available to access and connect to vehicle wires is likely to be restricted. Accordingly, errors in the initial installation may occur. Accurate diagnosis of any such errors may be time consuming and add further to the installation costs. Maintenance of an installed system may also be complicated if each connection must be individually checked and rechecked.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control system which provides vehicle tracking and function control capabilities.
This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a vehicle control system including a tracking unit and a function unit cooperating therewith. The tracking unit may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a tracking controller cooperating with the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device to send vehicle position information to a monitoring station. Further, the function unit may include at least one uniquely coded transmitter to be carried by a user, a receiver at the vehicle for receiving signals from the at least one uniquely coded transmitter, and a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the receiver for learning the at least one uniquely coded transmitter to permit control of a vehicle function by the user. The function controller may advantageously cooperate with the wireless communications device of the tracking unit for sending an alert indication of whether at least one new uniquely coded transmitter has been learned.
More particularly, the vehicle control system may further include a local indicator connected to the function controller for providing a local indication of whether at least one uniquely coded transmitter has been learned. Also, the vehicle function may be associated with starting of a vehicle engine, vehicle door locks, and/or vehicle security.
The function controller may be switchable to a learning mode to permit learning of the at least one uniquely coded transmitter, and the function controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device for sending the alert indication when the learning mode has been entered. Moreover, the function controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device for sending the alert indication when the learning mode has last been entered.
Additionally, the function controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a passage of time since the learning mode has last been entered. Similarly, the function controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters, as well as for sending the alert indication for a change in a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters, and/or for sending the alert indication for a change in a code of at least one learned uniquely coded transmitter.
Further, the at least one uniquely coded transmitter may include at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter, as well as at least one uniquely coded transponder transmitter, for example. The vehicle position determining device may be a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, and the wireless communications device may be a cellular telephone communications device, for example.
The function unit may also include a biometric characteristic sensor for sensing a unique biometric characteristic of a user, and a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the biometric characteristic sensor for learning the unique biometric characteristic to permit control of a vehicle function by the user. Moreover, the function controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device of the tracking unit for sending an alert indication of whether at least one new unique biometric characteristic has been learned.
A vehicle control method aspect of the invention for a vehicle including a vehicle tracking unit for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station may include receiving signals from at least one uniquely coded transmitter at a receiver at the vehicle, and learning the at least one uniquely coded transmitter to permit control of a vehicle function by the user using a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the receiver. Furthermore, the method may also include sending an alert indication of whether at least one new uniquely coded transmitter has been learned using the vehicle tracking unit.
Similarly, a unique biometric characteristic of a user may be sensed using a biometric characteristic sensor at the vehicle, and the unique biometric characteristic may be learned to permit control of a vehicle function by the user using a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the biometric characteristic sensor. In addition, an alert indication may be sent of whether at least one new unique biometric characteristic has been learned using the vehicle tracking unit.